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DISCLAIMER: The characters and storyline of Christy were invented by Catherine Marshall. I
am in no way seeking profit or credit this story. Any additions to the Christy storyline and
characters were invenmted by me.
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 TITLE: One True Love
 AUTHOR: Erin (Mrs. MacNeill)
 SUMMARY: a swoon story that is abpout Neil's proposal and wedding to Christy

PART 1: The Walk

I remember it like it was yesterday...
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    Neil and I were on a picnic. He seemed especially nervous on this day. I wondered why.
He was usually so calm, except when he lost his temper. I chuckled. "What's so funny, lass?"
The doctor questioned me nervously. "Oh, doctor, it was nothing much. I was just recalling how
you are when you tend to lose your temper. You seem nervous today. Is something wrong?" Dang,
she noticed. Neil moaned inwardly. Argh! What am I going to do?!?! I've only done this once
before, and look at how it turned out. Blast! It wasn't my proposal that set her off! "No,
Christy, Nothing's wrong." He forced a smile. "Let's go for a walk." We got up, he offered me
his arm, and I took it. It looked like we were going to go up the mountain to the place where
the waterfall was when I had gone exploring to figure out the ancient jump rpoe rhyme. I
wondered why we had come here. We had never walked here before...
 
 PART 2: The Proposal

    As I sat atop a rough, sparkly rock, Neil stood gazing at the waterfall. "You're
beautiful." The doctor mumbled absently. He appeared to be deep in thought. "Yes, Neil, the
waterfall *is* nice." Neil turned to me then, and with such a glowing intensity in his eyes,
said, "No, Christy. *You're* beautiful." "Well..well..thanks." I turned away. I was sure that I
was bulshing as red as a cherry, but all of my tghts were erased as his lips met mine, in a
sweet, tender, feathery kiss. I had never felt this way with David. A million sparks went
throgh me. It felt as if the angels were singing in heaven. When we parted, I was breathless.
Then he kneeled down on one knee in the grass in front of me. One of his big, calloused hands,
surgeon's hands, gentle hands like my faather's that had saved so may lives, took ahold of my
dainty, small ones. His other hand was fumbling in his breast pocket for some kind of tiny box.
Come on, God, Neil prayed silently. Don't fail me now. 

He took the navy blue velvet box out of his pocket and held it. "Christy," Neil started, obviously
struggling for the right words. "We've been together for a while now, and Margaret's gone. I
love you." My heart soared. How I loved those words to come from his mouth! "I...I know that I
couldn't possibly give you all that you could want, but i'm willing to try, and if you wouldn;t
mind, I'd like to spend the rest of my life trying." He took a deep breath-could it
be..."Christy Rudd Huddleston, will you do the honor of being my wife, in sickness and in
health, till death do us part, only to join once again in heaven for all eternity?" I was sure
that my heart had stopped, but i didn't even half to consider it. "Oh, Neil!" I exclaimed as I
jumped up from the piece of rough granite and locked my arms around his neck and looked deeply
into his hazel eyes. "Yes!" It came out in a whisper. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" I yelled, for I
thought that all teh world must know about us, the love we share.!!

 He happily lifted me up, spun me around, and laughed heart!
ily. "Oh, I'm so glad, Christy, so glad." He put me down. Then our lips met once more in a
passionate kiss as his armed locked tightly around my waist, puling me to him. This time it
wasn't just sparks, it was a full-blown forest fire. We parted and he kissed the nape of my
neck as we held each other close, our eyes n the beaurful sunset, our minds entwined with
thoughts and plans of the future. And then he whispered in my ear- Down in the valley, the
valley so low, hang your head over, hear the wind blow. Hear the wind blow, lass, hear the wind
blow. Hang your head ovber, hear the wind blow...
 
 PART 3: The Wedding
 
    Creed Allen rand the big bell in the schoolhouse on the morning of Neil's and my wedding:
May 17th, 1914. I still remember that bell ringing to this day. And I remember how my father
held me in my room as I cried before I walked down the isle, and up into the gazebo and Neil
and I met our destiny...
 
   I walked down the isle looking deeply into Neil's eyes, my arm interlocked with my
father's, I walked to the children's humm of Amazing Grace. I smiled as I saw Neil in his kilt,
and a solitary tear ran down my face as I remembered the day he came to our school and gave the
lecture on Bonnie Prince Charlie...  
 
    "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of this couple,
Doctor Neil MacNeill andf our schoolteacher Christy Rudd Huddleston." David had asked us if he
could do the honor of our wedding, as a favor to us. The doctor looked deeply into my eyes, and
I blushed, and all the memories washed over me...
 
 FLASHBACK (bear with me here, this is a whole bunch of different little things, so 
 I hope it makes sense. PS-they're not all in order-sorry!)

   The first time I saw Dr. Neil MacNeill, at the Spencer cabin where I had to assist in Bob
Allen's operation, and the intenstity burned deeply within his hazel eyes... The time at the
Allen cabin where I had to again assist him in the surgery with Little Burl, and he had said to
me as he put his hands on both my shoulders, "Don't worry, you're doing fine"... When I had
gotten soaked in the creek and he saw me in Margaret's dress... the scarlet fever epedemic when
he had said the only person who wasn't caring was himself, the Typhoid fever epedemic where I
had heard his prayer to God Himself...when we had danced before the fire in the solitary
moonlight when Neil's arm was in a sling...how he took care of me when I got knocked unconsious
during the schoolhouse fire...when he asked me to marry him, atop the hill, when the only sound
that was heard was the rush of the waterfall...the wedding peperations...

 END OF FLASBACK

    "The rings please." David asked Little Burl to give them to him. "Let this ring be a
symbol of your undying lovee for one another. Do you, Neil Roderick MacNeill, take this woman,
Christy Rudd Huddleston, to love and to cherish, in good times and bad, in sickness and health,
till death do you part?" "I do." He slipped the ring on my finger. I smiled, and he squezzed my
hand tightly. "And do you, Christ Rudd Huddleston, take this man, Neil Roderick MAcNEill, to
love and to cherish, n sickness and health, in good times and bad, till death do you part, only
to join again in heaven?" "I do." I slipped the gold band on his finger. "I now pronounce you
man and wife. You may kiss the bride, doctor. Neil's lips met mine, and it was wonderful. IO'd
never felt so happy in my entire life. I put my arms around his neck, and I could hear Uncle
Bogg whistle. "I love you Neil," I whispered. "I love you too, Christy."

PART 4: THE "RECEPTION"

   The reception was lots of fun. It bought back earlier memories shared by Neil and I. He sang
to me again the song that hge had sung to me at Ruby Mae's wedding: Cheeks as red as a blumin'
rose, eyes of the deepest brown...and I'll never forget when we first walked up to our cabin...

   Neil dismounted his horse and lifted me down and carried me up the porch stairs. I shreiked
in delight. "Neil!!!" But all he did was kiss me. He opened the cabin door and carried me
inside, where we then surrendered to the feelings of one true love, Neil's and mine. 

                  THE END